Heat wave to prevail in Orissa, toll rises to 15

Bhubaneswar, May 4 (UNI) Blazing heat continued to claim lives in Orissa as death toll went up to 15 today, due to increasing mercury level in the region.

Three deaths were reported each from Anugul, Dhenkanal, and Khorda whlile two died in Jagatsinghpur, the heat wave claimed one live each in Jajpur, Mayurbhanja, Puri and Sambalpur due to severe sunstroke.

The maximum day temperature continued to hover around 40 to 44 degrees Celsius in certain pockets of Orissa.

Sundergarh was the hottest place where mercury touched to 44.4 degrees followed by Anugul 44.1, Jharsuguda 44.1, Titilagarh 44, and Bolangir 43.4.

The temperature in Puri was at 33 degrees, Gopalpur at 32.5 and Paradeep at 33.5.

However, the situation in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack had improved a bit today with the maximum temperature falling around four degrees Celsius. Bhubaneswar recorded 39.9 degrees from 44 degrees yesterday and Cuttack stood at 39.1 from 43.3 degrees yesterday.

The weathermen predicted that the heat wave condition would prevail in certain parts of the State during the next 24 hours.

The maximum temperature in Bhubaneswar is likely to be around 41 degrees tomorrow, they added.

The Orissa government has ordered to close down the educational institutions as a precautionary measure in view of the heat wave condition and regulated the plying of buses.